Friday 5: Five Ways to Stay Motivated

Hey, Fools! Alex and I are still soaking up some Southern comfort (SoCo or otherwise, lol); jury’s still out as to whether or not we will be dragged back to Chicago. I’m linking up with Jill for Five Things Friday and for the Friday 5 with the DC Trifecta–I know, I know, the theme this week is What’s in Your Gym Bag. Well, I don’t have a gym bag–all I have is what I bring with me mentally. And sometimes, that is quite lacking. Consequently, I am so happy to have my fellow Southern Belle Carson filling in for me today, as I did for her last Friday! Today Carson is going to talk about strategies for re-lighting that fire–whether it be running, lifting, or competitive jungle-gym-ing.

Hello, friends of Susie! My name is Carson and I ramble over at RunningSouthern.com. While Sus is off somewhere being awesome, she asked me to step in and share just a tidbit of my knowledge with you guys.

As someone who has been a lover of the sport of running for years, I am the first person to say that sometimes my motivation falls by the wayside. Let’s be honest, like a fine diamond, everything loses its sparkle from time to time and has to be buffered a little bit. Running is no different. Here are a few ways to rekindle the romance and keep that spark alive.

5 Ways to Stay Motivated

1. Find a new place to run. I am all about mixing it up. If you are used to running in your neighborhood, go downtown and run the streets (just don’t get hit by a car). If you are a trail runner, find a neighborhood with sidewalks to explore. One of those people who can run for hours on the treadmill? Well bless your heart, get outside and run those trails. A simple change in scenery can do wonders for your boredom and give you reason to get out the door.

2. Implement some cross training. The best thing I ever did for myself was when I started to implement cross training into my running routine. If you plan your workouts, then you know that seeing xx miles on varying days each and every week can get repetitive and boring. Adding a speed workout, group fitness class, or weight lifting cycle into that routine can break up the boring, allowing you to try something new. This also has the double benefit to improve your running through making you stronger. And who out there can honestly say that they don’t want to run faster? (Not me).

3. Buy a new outfit. Trivial as it may seem, this actually works for me. As a self-proclaimed clothes horse, having something new and cute to run in will do it for me almost every time. Not just because I love a new outfit, but because if I spend my hard earned money on it, then I want to get my money’s worth out of it. Having a new article of clothing hanging in the closet with the tags for an extended amount of time is a waste. Dollars thrown in the trash. Get sweaty in that new outfit! (Then take a selfie and post it all over Insta).

4. Sign up for a race. So I have already confessed how cheap I am, so obviously paying to run a race and then not preparing adequately for it is a no-no for me. Once I drop those Benjamins, you better believe I am gonna be training my heart out to make sure I get a return on my investment. But let’s also not forget that we live in the age of technology. And while you might forget every detail of the training runs and the race itself, your race time while live on forever in the interwebs. Staying on that training plan just got a little more important.

5. Run with a buddy. Something about running with another person makes the time fly for me. I forget about my pace and just enjoy the friend time. The running community is so awesome at supporting each other, that finding a friend, colleague, or running group to throw down some miles with is relatively easy. I personally have a few friends that I run with, but I run the most with my mom, who is an excellent running buddy. I also like to run with Bentley and Scotty, my German shepherds (and occasionally my husband), who are pretty great running buddies, as well.

Have you read these gems?

Welcome to Suzlyfe

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Suzlyfe is a Chicago-based healthy life, fitness, running, and food blog that aims to educate, connect, and inspire: educate readers in an accessible way about fitness, running, and wellness; connect readers to myself (Susie) and others with the same interests and passions; and inspire all to live a life beyond expectations.Email Me

Though I am a RRCA Certified Running Coach and NASM Certified Personal Trainer with a chronic illness, a physician husband, and a lot of experience, and though I may seem like a know it all, please remember that all views expressed on my blog are mine along. Consult your physician before making any personal changes to your mental or physical health and wellness programs.